middle: 4

FOUR WEEKS EARLIER

Dami received a text from Korede after getting dressed and preparing to go to work.

We're meeting today

10am

He looked at his watch,9am.He pulled the tips of his collar together, trying to knot his tie,his wife showed up behind him. She asked to help him with it.She had forced him to dress cooperate to work today.

"You don't really look happy this morning darling,is it because I chose this look for you?"she asked moving in front of him. And also blocking his view. He could only see his face in the mirror.

"Of course not, Sweetheart",he kissed her on the lips."besides,it's Monday right? It's cool since I don't have to wear this suit and tie for the rest of the week."

Aisha smiled at him kissing him back on the lips. "I love you dami"she said with a low voice that made it sound like she was whispering.

"I love you too baby" Dami kissed her back,this time longer. He couldn't resist her.He carried her and gently placed her on the bed.This woman drove him crazy,she makes every impossibility in his life possible,she makes his cup of blessings runneth over.

Aisha on the other hand was feeling the same way,she didn't even realize that Dami had carried on her the bed. Damn he was going to work and he was running late.

"Babe when you come back from work,okay? You're going to be late"she pulled him away,even though she was beginning to enjoy what hadn't even started.

"No babe,I have a meeting with the other designers at work and it starts by 10. I still have time to make love with my lovely wife"he kissed her passionately this time like he couldn't get enough of her even though he knew she was all his.

He stripped her of her nightgown, she was completely naked. In return Aisha immediately pulled off his shirt for him. She didn't feel this way with any other man, Dami was the only one made her feel this way. His words,his touch,his soft beautiful pink lips,his hands, everything about him made her tremble. He made her body vibrate even more than the earth would quake.

Mummy!

She couldn't stop she was starting to enjoy it. Dami was gently kissing her neckline.

Mummy!!

Oh dami I love the way you make me feel,she was beginning to assist dami to pull off his pants.

Mummy!!!

The doorknob made a sound,her son was coming in the room. She knew her son was calling her but her mind kept telling her he couldn't open the door.Not cause it was locked. But because his hand couldn't reach to open the door.

But damn!!! She found out that her son had grown taller and he can now open doors.

Immediately,she got up from the bed, pushed dami away and went to the bathroom, taking her nightgown with her.

Dami was quite shocked with the way Aisha had pushed him.Not until he saw his son inside his room.He didn't hear when his little boy was calling his mum.

"Good morning Daddy",his son greeted him postrating on the floor. He couldn't help but smile.His beautiful son was so smart just like his mother.

Even though his son had to learn how to greet his parents like that from his grandmother.He always told his mother not to train his kids the way she trained him and his siblings.That was stale and old fashioned.

"Good morning son,come here.give daddy a hug",they hugged."and a kiss"he placed his finger on his cheek to show his son right where he should kiss him.

Aisha came out of the bathroom after washing her face and putting her clothes back on.

"It's okay,you need to get ready for school.you're late and that's cause mummy woke up late today"she gestured her son up from his daddy's laps,then, outside the room.

"He almost saw us"Dami said stretching his hands forward to hold Aisha on her waist."he's so big now,how did he open the door?"

"I just saw him do it yesterday,he's growing up to be like you.Tall, masculine... Baby you need to get dressed,I'm going to prepare him for school"she left the room after giving him another long kiss on his lips.

****

Dami would have gone straight to his fashion company on a regular day to get some work done. But not on days Korede sets a meeting.Work hasn't been going too well either, orders have reduced.Sure they should,with Nigeria's economy,they should.

Dami's company was focused more on the middle class and lower class.He made clothes that people could easily afford especially growing up the way he did. It was hard to eat not to talk of putting on clothes.Knowing how that feels,he decided to be more focused on the less privileged than the rich.

Maybe a way of giving to the society or maybe because cause he didn't get his money mainly from the fashion company or he had enough  money?

Korede's house was about two hours ride from his house with his car,with Lagos traffic. With no traffic it was only about 30mins drive. But he got to Korede's house about 45 minutes after he left home.

Korede lived in a regular apartment.a two bedroom flat. Something normal for a young Nigerian man with only a sister.Korede's sister was in the university,300 level studying commercial law.

"I got your text, bro... Can you come to the parlour please?",Dami yelled a little bit loud so Korede could hear but not so loud for his neighbours to.

Korede got to the parlour few minutes later.

"You came early, didn't you go to the company first?"

"No,I came from home"

"Johnmoore will be here soon though,I guess"

"And Tiana?"

"I didn't call her since you said I shouldn't call her to any of our meetings again"

"That's better"

"Hmmm..." Korede didn't understand why Dami made such decision.He had to follow orders though, Dami was the BOSS.But he just couldn't figure out the reason why Dami didn't want Tiana in any of the meetings anymore.

Dami noticed Korede was acting all suspicious especially with his hmming but he didn't owe nobody no explanation.

After waiting for Johnmoore for about 15minutes.He came surprised to see Dami already there.He also asked why Dami came so early, Dami told him.

"I've got a new package for us"Korede started the conversation. Dami and Johnmoore curious what kind of package Korede's got,leaned closer to hear he had to say.

"Remember that guy that Shina told us about before...the Mexican guy??"

"Yeah"Dami and Johnmoore said it together,giving each other a look. They still couldn't grow from that 'first to pinch'habit.They were a bit far from each other so they couldn't pinch.

"I think we need to meet him and strike a deal with him"

"Meet who?"Johnmoore asked despite his awareness about who they were meeting but he had to ask again to be sure that was what he heard.

"The guy...the man ... The Mexican guy"Korede looked at Johnmoore. They had had this conversation before but Johnmoore wasn't strongly against it the way he sounded right now.

"No no no...we can't. Korede the guy is extremely dangerous. Doing business with him strongly means death", Johnmoore wouldn't stop,he had to make Korede realize this wasn't a good option.

"And what we've been through in the past,that wasn't worse than death?... We can't back down now,we have to do this"

Dami was silent,he didn't say anything.

"Dami, you no go talk?" Johnmoore called Dami's attention to the conversation . It seemed something was going through his mind. Though it was obvious He was following what they were saying.

"I can't say anything, I already told you guys my piece of mind about this in our last conversation pertaining this.I won't work with this man.we all know how dangerous he is,how he controls the game. Korede drop the matter abeg" Dami finally said in an angry tone.

"We've started this already and we need to end this guys. We need to keep going" Korede didn't give up,he thought he only had to convince Dami,now johnmoore too.

"We didn't start this business to just leave it in the middle like this.we gotta take it to the next level", Korede paused. He had to think of something to persuade them especially Dami. Dami was the obstimate,if he was not going to do something then he wouldn't, it takes a lot to convince him. He had to convince johnmoore first.

"See guy"Korede called John's rapt attention on him "we cannot continue like this,this cheap money we keep earning from this little drugs cannot keep us going,you need more money to keep your hospital running,is it that little clinic you're going to keep forever?....do you think that it'll get better with the way our country is going down every day?... In no time bro,the police might get to catch us and there's no way we're going to escape that. Those people we hear about on the news that they keep getting caught, It's cause they don't have enough money to bail themselves out. We have to make more money,we have to expand,we have to make it bigger"Korede was getting ready to finalize his talk with Johnmoore especially seeing his expression. John seemed to be convinced.

"Our family remember they're first,we're doing this for them"

"The family that might end up dying with what were about to do?"Dami shouted before realizing his voice was too loud. Lowering it,he continued "you know what I'm saying better,the millions we're making is enough. Its okay for us to survive for now".

"Thank God you said for now, Dami. For the future we have to do this"Korede glared at Dami,he couldn't take his eyes off him. He was always the hard one... Even though he knew Dami was right,they had to do this.

"Okay alright,I'm in"johnmoore said tapping his fingers so Korede and Dami would stop glaring at each other with the look that was enough to drill a hole in each other's head.

"Thank you John"korede hand shakes John.

"We need to do this,Dami. For our family,for our future. The future of our kids,your kids. We need to take this to the next level"John said thinking deeply about the whole thing,life is all about taking risks. They've taken worse in the past and here they are.still here, strong.

"Okay,we're in this together" Dami placed his hand on their handshake.

"Okay so where do we start from?"Dami asked crossing his legs and sitting comfortably.

"Information... and I'll leave that to the both of you"John said standing up, getting ready to go.

"Sit your ass down jur", Korede and Dami said at the same time. John was always fund of leaving the work to both of them.

They all smiled.